The Eagles officially announced a four-year contract extension for defensive end Trent Cole that lasts through the 2017 season.

News of Cole's new deal broke on Tuesday, not long after the Eagles had already extended another long-time Eagle in tackle Todd Herremans. But some minor details needed to be fleshed out before the team could confirm the contract.

Cole will earn $15 million in guaranteed salary and could make up to $53 million over the course of the deal if a few esclators kick in. Cole signed a five-year extension in 2006 that made him a bargain as he developed into one of the best defensive ends in the NFL.

He obviously felt underpaid, but kept his thoughts to himself rather than broadcast them through the media. However, when the off-season arrived he said he approached the Eagles about a new deal.

"My time has come, and I knew my time was going to come," Cole said during a news conference at the NovaCare Complex. "It’s just that I had to play my role and hopefully everything would work out.”

With his new deal he's among the the highest-paid ends in the NFL.

"We are excited to be able to sign Trent to a new contract," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "Trent plays the game with a level of tenacity that’s hard to replicate. He’s one of the premier defensive ends in the league. We have always said that when you watch the tape of him, it’s hard to tell the difference between his first play and his last play.

"He has an unbelievable motor that does not stop. And as good as he is rushing the passer, he is equally as good against the run. His energy is contagious on the field.”

Cole, one of the NFL's most consistent pass rushers over the last five seasons, has been voted into two Pro Bowls (2007 and 2009). Since 2006, only two players have taken down quarterbacks more than Cole – DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen. He ranks third on the Eagles' all-time list with 68 career sacks behind only Reggie White (124) and Clyde Simmons (76).

Cole, a 2005 fifth-round draft pick, recorded 11 sacks last season, his third in row in the double digits.

While Cole was conducting a series of interviews following his press conference, Eagles defensive end Phillip Hunt was spotting roaming the halls at the NovaCare. The former CFL star said he has gained about 10 pounds this offseason and is now at 260.

"Didn't have an offseason workout program like this in the CFL," Hunt said.

Hunt, in his first season in the NFL, tallied two sacks in nine games.